Duties & Responsibilities

The Historic Preservation Commission, as appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the City Council, acts to review Certificate of Appropriateness Permit applications for work within the city's Canal Place Preservation District.

Issuing Permits
Permits will be issued for those projects that have been determined by the commission as meeting the intent of the guidelines contained within this hand­book. The commission and its staff also serve to provide technical guidance to property owners with questions regarding design and maintenance issues, as well as direction in seeking financial assistance for rehabilitation projects.

Public Meetings
The Commission meets each month in City Hall. Its meetings are public ses­sions open to all members of the public, although persons wishing to have their project reviewed must apply ahead of time to the commission staff, locat­ed in City Hall, in order to be scheduled in advance for the agenda.

Resources
The City maintains a collection of technical reference sources that may assist property owners in gaining further understanding of recommended preservation techniques and approaches. In addition, the Commission can direct people to collections of historic photographs of buildings and city streetscapes which may aid property owners researching or trying to locate older views of their building.